Deep-well pump



R. M. DOWNIE.

DEEP WELL PUMP. APPLICATION FILED Nov.22. I9I9.

WITN ESS E S ATTO RN EY R. M. DOWN'IE. DEEP WELLVPUMP.4 v APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22,15*)19- 1 401 681 rPatented Dec. 27, 1921.

ROBERT M. DOWNIFQKOF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. TO KEYSTONE DRILLER COMPANY, OF BEAVER FALLS, `:PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DEEP-WELL PUMP.

Specification of vLetters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 27, 1921.

To all whom t may concer/a:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. DowNm, 'a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Deep-fell Pump, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to deep well pumps and more particularly to means for supplying air to the pump below the pump barrel, and its object is to lighten the load on the pistons by displacing part of the water, to cushion or render resilient the rising column of water, and to supply the air chamber of the pump with air.

In accordance with the invention, air is supplied through a suitable pipe from the surface of the ground to a point which may be at the bottom of the pump barrel so that the air enters the pump barrel below the piston, or in the case of a twostroke pump, below the lower piston, and this air is distributed in the column of water entering the pump barrel so as to permeate the water. A

The invention is designed particularly for deep well pumps and provision is made whereby suction is established vin the air pipe to cause the indrawing of the air. Such suction Vis brought about by somewhat reducing the area of the water inlet to the pump barrel, so that the pump pistons produce anY increased speed of flow into the pump barrel which is responded to by the air in the air pipe, which latter is kept free from water by a suitable check valve.

The invention is particularly adapted to two-stroke deep well pumps, but may be used advantageously with single-acting deep well pumps.

The air pipe may be a small affair, say

a one-eighth or a one-quarter inch pipe, since the amount of air required is not large.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following'l detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the VVinvention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawings, but may be changed and modiiied so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure fromA the salient features yof the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings, n

Figure 1 is an elevationk of a deep well pump with the pump casing in section.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross section, with sone parts in elevation, of the pump barre Fig. 3 isa section on a larger scale than that of the preceding figures and limited to the check valve end of the pump barrel.

Fig. 4; is a top planV view of the check valve casing shown in Fig. 3 but omitting` the water inlet check valve.

Fig. v5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar `to Fig. 3, but omitting some parts, and showing other parts in elevationl which are indicated in section in Fig. 3, Fig. 46 showing a slightly different Structure from that of 'Fig 3.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a well casing 1 in a well bore 2, which latter may be considered as representative of a deep well. Extending into the well is a tubeB dropping from a working head 4, which need not be particularly described, since it forms no part of the invention. Branched off from the tube 3 is a pipe 5 including an airl chamber 6, as is customary. At the lower end ofv the tube 3 is a working barrel 7 containing pistons 8, 9 of the two-stroke or double-acting type. The invention is applicable to a single-strokepump, but is particularly advantageous in a two-stroke pump.

At' the lower end of the working barrel there is provided a connection 10 suitably shaped interiorly to receive a check valve `11 constituting the usual foot valve for the pump. The check valve connection 1() is provided below the check valve 11 with a cross arm 12 which may be cast integral therewith, and this cross arm 12 has a longitudinal bore 13 extending from a lug 14 at one side of the connection 10 to a point at or beyond the mid-point of the bar. Communicating with the bore 13 is a nipple 15, in the structure shown in Fig. 3, and

this nipple carries a check valve'16, which may beof relatively small size, rising into the suction chamber within'the connection 10, andwhen thecheck valve V11 is present,

rising into theinteror of the-latter. The:

check valve 16 has a casing with numerous outwardly-directed small ports 17 and contains a valve member 18 which may be of the familiar ball type, although of course not conlined to such particular type oi valve. The valve 18 closes toward the bore 13, and communicating with the bore 13 through the boss or enlargement 111 is an air pipe 19 of small size, say made ot' one-eighth inch or one-quarter inch pipe. This air pipe is carried up outside of the working barrel and inside ont the well casing, to the surface of the ground, where it may be opened to the atmosphere through a valve 2O whereby the amount oit air permitted to low through the pipe 19 may be controlled. @his is the reason for carrying the pipe 19 to the surface of the ground, thus permitting an operator to readily adjust the amount of air reaching the connection 10 through the check valve 16. rlhe connection 10 is shown in the drawings as supporting a strainer 21, but as this is a customary practice in deep wells, no further description is necessary.

In the double stroke pump, when one plston is lifting its load on the upstroke, the other piston is returning. The two pistons thus relay each other, one taking up the load at the point where the other leaves ott'. The upward speed of each piston varies from nothing at the beginning of the stroke to its point of highest speed, which is at quarter throw of the crank operating piston. The column of water, being rigid and noncompressible, has a variable and undesirable impulse or impact upon each of the pistons and sucker rods at each stroke.

By the present invention, air is directed into the column of water, thereby cushioning it. rlhe impulsive motion of the water eX- tends beyond the point or' discharge and produces water hammering and vibration in any system of piping connected with the discharge. It is the purpose of theordinary air chamber incorporated in the discharge line to cushion the water column and avoid water hammering. While this is accomplished fairly well by the air chamber, such actions occurs only so long as the air chamber is kept full of air. 1t has been found, however, in practice, that with deep well pumps the water readily absorbs the air from the air chamber' and thereby soon destroys its efficiency. With the invention, a constant supply of air is furnished, keeping the air chamber constantly replenished, this being because a small quantity of air is taken into the pump below the working barrel.

rlhe arm or bar 12, across the water inlet to the pump, reduces the iniiow area to such an extent that the action of the pistons 8 and 9 tends to produce a. vacuum at the bar or arm 12. rlhis tendency to produce a vacuum causes the lifting of the check valve member 18 and draws the contents of the pipe 19 into the pump barrel with the water. 1n case the well be normally illed with water for some distance above the working barrel, as is usually the case, the pipe 19, known as a sniiting pipe, may have water in it to the level of the water in the well. lfilhen the pump is started, this water will lirst be drawn out through the check valve 16 and thereafter the suction caused by the pistons oiE the pump will at each stroke draw Aair down the sniiting pipe and into the barrel. The volume of air required for dittercnt elevations, pressures and conditions, is readily regulated by the operation of the valve 20 at the surface of the ground.

Upon entering the working barrel, the air is sprayed or disseminated in the rising volume ot water, rendering it resilient instead oi rigid, such resilience extending throughout the entire length of the pump tubing. Besides rendering the column of water resilient, it also lightens the load upon the pistons. At the time when the pistons are traveling up at the greatest speeds the occluded air in the water will compress momentarily and thus destroy any tendency to create a jarring on the pistons and sucker rods. rlhe occluded air, when reaching the opening of the air chamber, will automatically rise into the air chamber 6 and at all times keep the latter completely charged with air.

When once installed and the regulating valve 2O is adjusted, the whole device becomes permanently automatic in its action.

In Fig. 6 is shown a check valve arrangement, for the lower end of the pump barrel, of slightly different design from that shown in Fig. 3, but in all essential particulars the structures of Figs. 3 and 6 are alike, wheretore parts of Fig. 6 similar to those of Fig. 3, are designated by the same reference numerals with the exponent a.

When the level ot the fluid in the well is below the pump barrel, a suction length of pipe may be added to the; working barrel between it and the strainer.

What is claimed is:

1. A deep well piston lift pump having a pump barrel, an air cushion chamber, and an air inlet pipe entering the pump below the pump barrel, whereby to furnish the pump with air in order to cushion hammering and to maintain a continuous air supply in the air chamber.

2. A deep well litt pump having a pump barrel, a lifting piston structure therein, a Jfoot valve at the lower end of the pump bar- .re-l, an air cushioning chamber above the pump barrel, and an air inlet pipe communicating with the atmosphere at a relatively high point above the pump and entering the pump to discharge into the pump barrel below the foot valve and also provided with a check valve opening toward the pump barrel.

3. A deep Well piston pump having a barrel, with an air pipe entering the pump below the barrel, and said pump being also provided with constricting means at the water entering end of the barrel below the ain inlet thereto.

4. A deep Well piston pump with a pump barrel having constricting means for reducing the area of the water inlet to the pump, and an air duct, oi which the constricting means forms a part at. the air inlet to the barrel.

5. A deep well piston pump with a pump barrel having constricting means reducing the area of the water inlet to thel pump, and an air duct leading from a high point outside of the pump barrel and Ventering the pump through the constricting means with the discharge end of the air duct above and close to the constricting means.

6. A deep well piston pump with a pump barrel having constricting means reducing the area of the' water inlet to the pump, and an air duct leading from a high point outside of the pump barrel and entering the pum through the constricting means with the cischarge end of the air duct above and close to the constricting means, said air outlet including a check valve.

7. A deep well piston pump with a pump barrel having constricting means reducing the area of the water inlet to the pump, and an air duct leading from a high point outside of the pump barrel and entering the pump through the constrictingmeans with the discharge end of the air duct above and close to the constricting means, said air outlet including a check valve, the outlet being formed by numerous small openings pointing in different directions for disseminating the air through the moving mass of Water.

8. A deep well piston pump having a pump barrel, and an air duct or pipe leading from the surface 01"" the ground Where the pipe communicates with the atmosphere and terminating below the Jfoot valve for the discharge of air into the foot valve under the suction of the pump and said pipe having an accessible regulating valve at its upper end.

9. A deep well piston pump with a pump barrel, a cushioning air chamber at the discharge end of the pump, and an air pipe or duct leading from the atmosphere with the air at a pressure determined by the suction of the pump, and discharging into the lower end of the pump below the bottom of the pump barrel and the water level in the well.

10. A deep well piston pump with a pump barrel, a cushioning air chamber at the discharge end of the pump, and an air pipe or duct leading into the pump below the pump barrel and water level in the well, said pump having constricting means for the Water inlet to the pump barrel with said constricting means forming part of the air duct and the latter opening into the pump above and close to the constricting means.

In testimony that I claim the Jforegoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT M. DOWNIE.

Vitnesses:

JAMES D. BoWsER, HOWARD MCA. REED. 

